Saturday, December 4, 2010

I realize that if you haven't seen the movie Zoolander, the title of this pasta e fagioli, aka pasta fazool, makes absolutely no sense. But, having recently seen someone perform the famous underwear extraction scene from the movie (see bonus video below), I just couldn't help myself.

So, is this hearty winter soup really so good you'd spontaneously attempt to remove your underwear without taking off your pants? Well, possibly, but you'd really have to love soup. Really love soup.

Regardless of whether you go Zoolander or not, no one will deny this is a super simple, very fast, and quite nutritional recipe. The addition of cheese tortellini in place of significantly less interesting macaroni, makes for an extra satisfying bowl of food.

As I say in the video, this is an answer to all the people who claim not having enough time to cook after a long day at work. This entire recipe, start to finish, takes about 30 minutes. And, if your excuse is you don't cook at all, well, this is a heck of a recipe to start with! It also happens to be the kind of dish you really want to be savoring on one of these chilly winter days. Enjoy!

Bonus Borderline-Inappropriate Zoolander Impersonation Video
The reason Zoolander was on the brain was this performance by Aubrey Huff at the San Francisco Giants' World Series parade. He went full Zoolander to remove his red "Rally Thong," the good luck charm he actually wore during the season (true story).

Couldn't find the inside-out grilled cheese on the blog... (it's on YouTube though). Just wanted to give you props - it turned my tomato soup into a second class grilled cheese dipping sauce. - Jesse from Detroit

Hey Chef John - Can I use the anchovy paste I bought to make Spaghetti Al Tonno? That was good stuff, BTW. My husband freaked out when I put the anchovy paste in, but he thought it was pretty good in the end.

Also Chef - curious what you use for your video/audio production hardware and software. It's very professional. I'm going to begin doing some videos on my company blog which is financial services. Would you mind sharing?

You were right, Chef!! This soup is very, very easy to prepare. I had never made soup before (at least not from "scratch") and this was so amazing; I was really blown away.

I wasn't sure which are the "good" beans here and, in any case, there were only two brands at the store. I didn't buy excellent beans (they did look kind of cheap) but it was okay. Next time, though, I will really look for good beans.

I was in a rush when I went to the store because I got out of class late and I was starving (plus it's so cold!) so I didn't buy parmesan but I had some havarti at home; I used that and it was perfect.

What really made the difference for me was the tortellini. I bought the good ones and that made it spectacular. I did add a little too much salt but it was still very delicious. :)

Thank you very much for this recipe!! This will be a new favourite for me.

Thanks John. I actually made this recipe twice. I didn't have fresh oregano so i just used 1/2 tsp of dried. Your right a perfect fast meal for a weekend night. Tasted very good with a pastrami sandwich.

Chef John, YOU are the MAN! I am completely and utterly addicted to your blog. Hell, I even watch the videos of things I wouldn't care to make, just for shits-n-giggles. You truly have inspired me to advance my knowledge in the culinary arts. BTW, you totally need a Chef John / Food Wishes page on Facebook!!!!!

Thanks for the recipe john! I've tried this a few times already with some variation. Tonight I threw the tortellini into a super hot pan, just to brown the edges slightly before boiling. Its a nice little extra flavour in the soup!

Just got done making this soup. YUM! When Peapod delivered my groceries I was told they ran out of white beans, so I used what I had on hand, chick peas. Very good!!! Doubt we will have any leftovers by the end of the day :D

OMG!!!! How can you just think about tortellini an pasta fagioli together???Would you eat marshmallows with broth? You've just done the same. When you try to cook something you really don't know, please, surf the net for a recipe! In italy you will never ever find such an awful mess.

Hi Chef, I love your blog! I find your voice very comforting. : ) Question, I like a slightly sour, tangy flavor to my pasta fagioli, but I can't seem to achieve one. What would you suggest? I don't want to ruin a yummy pot of soup by guessing wrong! I'm going to try your recipe for my next batch this week. It looks delicious!